T20 World Cup 2021 qualification scenarios: How can India qualify for the semi-finals?
The ICC T20 World Cup 2021 has been a nightmare for India so far. The Indian cricket team started as the favorites to win the tournament but they are on the verge of an early elimination after playing only two games in the competition.
India looked confident in their warm-up matches against England and Australia. However, they started their ICC T20 World Cup 2021 campaign with a 10-wicket defeat against Pakistan.
The Men in Green then beat New Zealand and Afghanistan in their next two matches to almost confirm their place in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 semifinals. Pakistan's wins meant that the game between New Zealand and India became a virtual eliminator.
The Kiwis continued their winning streak in T20 World Cup matches against India and opened their account in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 points table.
While India's chances of qualifying for the semifinals are very low now, there is still a chance mathematically. Here's how the Men in Blue can still make it to the next round.
Condition #1 - India win all of their remaining matches in the T20 World Cup 2021 Super 12 stage
First and foremost, India need to win their remaining matches in the Super 12 stage. The Men in Blue have three games left. They will battle Afghanistan on November 3, Scotland on November 5 and Namibia on November 8.
India need to earn six points from those three matches and ensure they win by big margins to have a decent net run rate.
Condition #2 - Neither New Zealand nor Afghanistan have more than 6 points
New Zealand have two points from two matches. Their remaining fixtures are against Afghanistan, Namibia and Scotland. Looking at the Black Caps' performance against India, many fans expect them to beat Namibia and Scotland. So, they will have six points to their name by defeating the two qualifiers.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan have their remaining two matches against India and New Zealand. As per the first condition, India will have to beat Afghanistan, leaving the Afghans on four points.
So, the game between Afghanistan and New Zealand scheduled to happen on November 7 is the most crucial one for India's qualification. If New Zealand win that match, they will qualify, and India and Afghanistan will be eliminated.
However, if Afghanistan wins, they will be tied with India and New Zealand on six points. The team with the best net run rate will qualify for the semifinals, and if India wins their last three matches by big margins, they can be that team.
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